1 hour ago, Tranquility Base said:

This feels more like a salary dump.

MLB arbitration predictions have Singer predicted to make around $3,000,000 more than India's salary in 2025. So definitely not a salary dump.

7 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/I'd/42551361/reds-land-brady-singer-royals-jonathan-india-joey-wiemer

"Singer, 28, went 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA last season, starting 32 games for the Royals while helping them to an unexpected playoff berth. Overall, he made 127 starts for Kansas City over five years, compiling a 4.28 ERA. His only down season was in 2023, when he had a 5.52 ERA."

Hate to see India go.  I like his grit.  But in the end, pitching wins in MLB.  Singer's numbers don't scream improvement to the rotation.  This feels more like a salary dump.

Doesn’t scream salary dump to me. There wasn’t anywhere for India to play with McLain returning. Singer also has 3 years of team control and his numbers aren’t earth shattering but have trended in the right direction. If he had top tier numbers, you wouldn’t be able to trade the two guys you did for him. Sadly, in the grand scheme of things, India is just a run of mill big leaguer and the league proved that when the Reds had interest in moving him last offseason.

The biggest thing he’ll bring is stability to a staff that hasn’t had much. He made 32 starts last year and threw a ton of innings. What’s left of our bullpen is smiling.

Reds need to go kick the tires on a 1-2 year deal with Pete Alonso. He would mash in GABP, and he would give some flexibility for CES as he works back from literal nerve damage. Depending how things shake out, he could play 3B (if Marte looks like he did last year) or DH as well as spelling Alonso at 1B. He would be a proven bat with pop in the middle of a lineup that badly needs it. 

Anthony Santander would get a call from me too. The Reds really need help and pop in the OF. Santander can do that, within budget, and he's a switch hitter. The issue here may end up being that if he plays his cards right he can play teams against one another on cost because the OF free agent that I'd look at as better than him is Juan Soto, and he's priced out of a lot of teams budget. 

Stephenson improved greatly on the defensive side last year, but they need to add a guy to catch a day or two a week. No idea who that is, but players love Tito. Find an aging guy who loved playing for him and will take more of a Crash Davis roll for a year under Francona and teach guys how to be pros. 

I expect them to sign a guy or two. They freed up a spot on the 40 man with the trade for Singer. I want them to add quality. When a guy like Alonso goes down I want the next guy up into the position to be a CES, who is then replaced by a Marte type. When an OF goes down your next best should be a Fraley type, not a Fairchild. Winning teams don't play guys like that consistently. 

I think the bullpen has a chance to pull itself together. They have some depth at pitching when guys return this year (assuming they're healthy) and I expect Williamson, etc. to come out of the pen. I also think the bullpen will excel under Francona when he doesn't tax them by July and gives guys more defined roles than we've been used to. They still need to sign a couple of guys, even if only MiLB contracts, to have some depth at the position. Bullpen arms ALWAYS go down. 

I'm not going to question a lot of what the Reds are doing this off season since they hired Terry Francona, who wouldn't have taken this job if he didn't see some potential to do great things.

India was one of the guys who I would have attempted to build my "Championship Caliber" team around.  While I didn't care for India's persona, I did like his baseball, and feel that he was stuck in a bad situation.

I do hope that we settle on a 40-50 man roster, instead of washing 70 different players through the clubhouse.  Being involved in team sports over the past 50 years, I am convinced that no team chemistry can be established under those conditions. 

I'll take a wait and see stance. 

On 11/23/2024 at 6:28 AM, ChickenWyngz said:

Doesn’t scream salary dump to me. There wasn’t anywhere for India to play with McLain returning. Singer also has 3 years of team control and his numbers aren’t earth shattering but have trended in the right direction. If he had top tier numbers, you wouldn’t be able to trade the two guys you did for him. Sadly, in the grand scheme of things, India is just a run of mill big leaguer and the league proved that when the Reds had interest in moving him last offseason.

The biggest thing he’ll bring is stability to a staff that hasn’t had much. He made 32 starts last year and threw a ton of innings. What’s left of our bullpen is smiling.

Singer has 2 seasons of club control, not 3.  He's a free agent after the 2026 season, just like India.  

10 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

Singer has 2 seasons of club control, not 3.  He's a free agent after the 2026 season, just like India.  

Good call. I think taking those 2 years with a starting pitcher trending in the right direction and eating innings vs a guy without a position and a persistent foot issue is a solid move.

10 hours ago, ChickenWyngz said:

Good call. I think taking those 2 years with a starting pitcher trending in the right direction and eating innings vs a guy without a position and a persistent foot issue is a solid move.

Oh, I think it was a good move for the Reds.  The current starting pitchers on the Reds roster have 4 seasons of more than 25 stars. Singer has 3 of them.  He's the only one that has thrown enough innings in a season to qualify for the ERA title.  Simply put, the Reds didn't have enough starting arms given the track record of the ones that they do have. They probably still don't. 

I just didn't want you to think that they gained anything from a team control perspective between the 2, because that's a wash.

Reds have acquired catcher Josè Trevino from the Yankees in return for RHP Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.

I knew they weren't going to resign Luke Maile, but I guess this sets that in stone.

On 12/20/2024 at 10:51 PM, Tranquility Base said:

Reds have acquired catcher Josè Trevino from the Yankees in return for RHP Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.

I knew they weren't going to resign Luke Maile, but I guess this sets that in stone.

Solid move to fill the backup catcher role.

Reds are aquiring Gavin Lux from the Dodgers.   

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/reds-gavin-lux-acquired-by-cincinnati/

So they traded away Jonathan India because they already had people to play up the middle....Then you sign ANOTHER middle infielder?  It's a never ending cycle of stupid.

Sounds like maybe the plan is to have Lux play in the outfield.  He did play some games in left for the Dodgers, but spent more time in the infield.   Not sure who moves out?  Friedl? Benson? 

On 12/24/2024 at 3:21 PM, I gotta go to work said:

Solid move to fill the backup catcher role.

I used to have a small collection of game-used bats from relatively obscure Reds catchers.  One was an Alex Trevino bat. 

It’s official. 

From the Cincinnati Reds on Facebook:

January 21, 1974: The Reds hire 31-year-old Marty Brennaman to replace Al Michaels and do radio play-by-play alongside Joe Nuxhall. Brennaman would be behind the mic for 46 seasons and three World Series titles before being inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2021. #RedsVault